BRP sues Arctic Cat for patent infringement

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BRP filed lawsuits in Canada and the United States yesterday claiming that Arctic Cat has infringed various Canadian and American patents for the REV platform used in BRP’s lines of snowmobiles.

BRP claims in documents filed in the Federal Court of Canada and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that Arctic Cat knowingly used certain innovations protected by BRP’s patents, without permission. BRP is requesting that Arctic Cat halt production of the infringing models and destroy those in stock. The company is seeking monetary compensation for the infringement.

“In recent years we have seen our competitors attempt to copy an increasing number of our inventions and designs,” says Martin Langelier, vice president, general counsel and secretary. “Innovation being at the core of BRP’s strategy, we will not tolerate infringement of our intellectual property rights. We are, as a result, taking legal action to protect them.”

BRP introduced the REV chassis in 2002. The platform, the company says, allowed Ski-Doo to regain the No. 1 position in the industry, a lead it has since maintained.

The Montreal Gazette reports that BRP claims Arctic Cat infringed six patents on snowmobiles the company designed starting in 2003.

A BRP spokesperson told the paper that the lawsuit “would certainly [involve] thousands and thousands” of snowmobiles in Arctic Cat’s inventory.

According to the paper, the suit targets Arctic Cat’s 2007 Jaguar Z1 model in particular, but alleges that other models also violate BRP’s patents, including its 2008 Sno Pro 600 and TZ1 LXR as well as 2012 models.

A public relations rep for Arctic Cat told the paper that the company doesn’t generally comment on pending legal matters.